Show I W Would Guld Abolish Workers Workers' I Dread of Bue h e Slip By Prof Edward Alsworth Ross Written Of the especially University for of the Wisconsin N. N E. E E A. A Wis March The fear ot of losing the job is perhaps the most prolific source of misery In the world today From conversations with wage earners one gathers that fear of finding the dreaded blue slip in the pay envelope really poisons life for multitudes How can we we lessen this fear The public is protected in various ways was against abrupt and undeserved undeserved un- un deserved dismissal In universities the the professor is usually given a years year's notice or else his salary is continued for at least half a year School boards hospitals churches and non non- gainful organizations generally feel that that it is indecent to cut oU off a faithful faithful faith faith- ful servant without giving reasonable time for him to look around for another another an- an other place Even by private employers em- em professional mon men are usually not di dismissed missed without more or less notice HERE ITS IT'S DIFf But in industry the lack of consideration consideration con con- for the worker found su- su Is amazing The The average employer seems to give himself self not I I the slightest concern as to what Is Isto isto to become of the worker let out I Ii i fault of his own I have heard of a firm long aware of the th necessity lof curt curtailment waiting till I half an hour before the evening whistle wl whis- tle blew to post a notice throwing i hundreds of men out of a a. job for tor an Indefinite time Talk to any workingman today as asto asto to what loss of job has bas meant to I him What tales of tramping the streets looking for work you would hear of rushing hither and thither on ona ona a rumor that this firm of that Is taking on men of returning night after night worn out and discouraged aged to an anxious of the sharp cutting down of household expenses expenses ex- ex I the begging of credit from butcher and grocer r. the borrowing of small sums from ones one's cronies the i shattering of the hopeful plans for forthe the children Here are real tragedies hundreds and thousands of them It a year vear in our larger larg-er centers No wonder won won- I der among wage earn earners rs the bitter I saying Is rite rife A Is n a ni i fool to have a wife and kids I ALWAYS ALWAYS WORRYING I And what of of the far greater number num- num her ber who are employed continuously but who are always worrying lest they rose lose their jobs without warning warn warn- tag ing So long as this condition continues conI con con- there wilt will be resentment and I unrest in the ranks of labor no matter matI mat mat- tel ter how reasonable the ho hours rs and I pay Tm Ine a law should entitle the dismissed after a certain i brief trial term of say a month to toI I fI a days day's dismissal wage for every twenty days In service If he lost his nob at the end of a year he would have a fortnight to look around in I fore before his income stopped After two I years years' service he would have a month I after six years service three months I which would perhaps stand as the maximum Un to a certain point the loncer hp he made good In his place the themore themore more secure he would feel for the themore themore more It would cost his employer to turn him off without fault on his part A After fter s II few years he would be quite free of the dread of the blue slip Vow Fow wholeheartedly a man will toil toU if he realizes th that t he is building about his job a walt wall of protection I which will survive change of foremen I or managers or owner ITO TO HEAR COMPLAINTS or of course the man who fires himself him him- self by persistent negligence ence or mis- mis on should get et no dismissal wage And since an unscrupUlous employer ml might ht charge harge fault where there Is none there will have to be local to hear complaints on thIs score An who quit ot of his freewill tree free will would of course get no dismissal dismissal dis- dis missal wake To prevent soldiering to get himself dismissed would require supervision by the local board too These and other questions could I I be worked out ho I How would the legal dismissal ware wage affect employers Tt It Is universally A agreed reed that the labor turnover In I American ind Is scandalous I II know an industry employing I men which hired and fired at least that many men a year seven Fifty Detroit plants last year took on and let out two and a halt half times as many men as they carried en the payroll Few w employers have any conception of f what they lose by such a turnover show that the hiring of unneeded in j velve factories involved an economic waste of a million dollars donars The obligation to pay a dismissal I wa wage e would give ive such employers a motive to make their practice conform to that of those thoughtful and humane humane hu- hu mane employers who have brought their annual turnover in some cases down to 30 per cent with profit to themselves and contentment to their |